Welcome to our new Vancouver Canucks feature, Canucks Live. Here we’ll highlight some of the news that drops daily about the Canucks. Come back throughout the day as we update with all the news you need to know. If you haven’t done so already, sign up for our Canucks Report to get our stories delivered to your inbox every day.

It’s a Canucks game day as they get set to take on the Stars, one of two undefeated teams left in the NHL. The Stars have only given up five goals in three games and scored 10, the Canucks have surrendered nine and scored eight.

As usual, there’s been a ton of focus on Elias Pettersson and his need to get going. Historically he’s been pretty good against the Stars, he has 15 points in 16 games against the Stars throughout his career, including 11 goals.

We know the Canucks need goals, but most fans have had a stark reminder to start the season that the key to this Canucks season is the health of goalie Thatcher Demko, as discussed extensively by our fan council. He has a sparkling 8-1-1 record in 10 career games against Dallas.

The Canucks actually won the last meeting with the Stars last April, 6-5 in overtime, but had lost the previous four to them before that.

Vancouver sent last year’s first-rounder Braeden Cootes back to his junior team in Seattle, so Steve Ewen considers him in our weekly Prospect Power Rankings, who’s No. 1?

“Vancouver reassigned Cootes on Tuesday following three games. Seattle (3-5-0-0) is home to Prince George on Friday. Noteworthy games for the Thunderbirds this season include trips to Langley to face Vancouver on Feb. 16 and Feb. 27. The 6-foot, 183-pound Cootes put up 26 goals and 63 points in 60 regular season games last season with Seattle. He was team captain.”

While they acknowledge it’s a small sample size, ESPN has tabbed the Canucks as a “surprise struggler” in the first week of the season.

What has happened: The Canucks’ sputtering stars have led to a lacklustre start that has fallen well below the level their talent should be capable of achieving. As it is, Vancouver is 1-2-0 to hold a share of the Pacific Division basement.

Why it happened: Vancouver’s top line has been a disaster. Jake DeBrusk, Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser clearly don’t complement one another. There’s no real “worker” on that unit to go in the corner and dig pucks out; all three are looking to score. Which is good — but only if you’ve got the puck long enough to do so.

In general, Pettersson isn’t proving to be the true first-unit pivot that Vancouver needs. The Canucks’ highest-paid player is coming off a woeful 2024-25 season in which he scored just 15 goals in 64 games. Vancouver isn’t exactly revelling in a bounceback showing now. Pettersson — with one assist and three shots to his credit — is mostly invisible on the ice offensively (although he has been on for only one goal against). The Canucks can’t thrive without him finding a rhythm, with or without his current linemates.

Vancouver’s power play has yet to convert too, and that has left the team to languish with the league’s 24th-ranked offence (averaging 2.67 goals per game). The Canucks are fortunate to have an all-world defenceman in Quinn Hughes and a possible Team USA Olympian goaltender in Thatcher Demko, who is 1-1-0, with a .944 SV%. Until Vancouver’s offence generates a spark, the defensive efforts won’t be enough to carry the Canucks up the standings.

Will it continue? It’s fair to say there are growing pains for plenty of teams with a new coach. Adam Foote took over this season, and he’s still putting his mark on this group. Vancouver has the raw material. The Canucks’ fourth line has been particularly solid. Vancouver needs more of that work ethic from the rest of its skaters.

Self-inflicted wounds and giving up response goals have hurt the Canucks as well. It’s their details more than anything that aren’t sharp. Scoring breeds confidence though, and if Vancouver can light the lamp a little more — and serve up fewer odd-man opportunities the other way to torpedo its progress — there will be brighter days ahead here.‘

If you have a spare 30 minutes to listen to some Canucks talk, Patrick Johnston delves into the Canucks hopes in our weekly video for the season, how a rookie coach will negotiate this team’s challenges, what is holding Pettersson back and why we’re tired of waiting for a return to the dominant player he once was. Patrick also gives a prediction as to how he thinks this season will ultimately play out.

Check back for more Canucks news throughout the day …